The Daily Voxhttp://www.thedailyvox.co.za
Citizen. Speak. Amplify.Mon, 19 Mar 2018 12:58:23 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.1Life Esidimeni Families To Receive R1.2 Million In Compensationhttp://www.thedailyvox.co.za/life-esidimeni-families-to-receive-r1-2-million-in-compensation-rumana-akoob/
http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/life-esidimeni-families-to-receive-r1-2-million-in-compensation-rumana-akoob/#respondMon, 19 Mar 2018 12:58:23 +0000http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/?p=44879Family members of the Life Esidimeni victims will receive R1.2 million in equitable financial compensation, the Arbitration led by former deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke announced on Monday. The R1.2 million will cover funeral costs (set at R20 000), compensation for shock and psychological trauma (R180 000), and R1 million for the government’s multiple constitutional […]

Family members of the Life Esidimeni victims will receive R1.2 million in equitable financial compensation, the Arbitration led by former deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke announced on Monday.

The R1.2 million will cover funeral costs (set at R20 000), compensation for shock and psychological trauma (R180 000), and R1 million for the government’s multiple constitutional and legislation violations in the unfolding of the tragedy.

This amount, Moseneke said, must be paid within three months of the publication of the report or 19 June 2018. He also ordered government to provide immediate assessment for counselling to the affected families, and provide counselling within one month to those who need it. The report also finds that government must erect a monument within 12 months of publication “to serve as a reminder of the human dignity of mental health users.”

The judge also announced that he will be donating his arbitration fees to selected law schools to train future lawyers.

In 2016, the Gauteng department of health canceled a contract with the NGO Life Esidimeni and moved 1 782 psychiatric patients patients. This resulted in the deaths of 144 people in the care of 27 unregistered, non-compliant NGOs.

Moseneke: The first patient to die was Deborah Phetla who was found with brown paper and plastic in her stomach.#LifeEsidimeni

Moseneke began reading the report saying: “This is the harrowing story of the death and torture of mental health users, it is also a story of the public anguish of the families”.

Moseneke: The damning point is this Dr Manamela and her colleagues devised a plan, this they did wtihout consent with the patients and their families, Families were loads on open bakkies and busses to NGOs.#LifeEsidimeni

The first set of claimants who are working with Section27 are family members of 74 of the deceased seeked compensation of R20 000 for funeral and counseling, and R1.5 million for constitutional damages.

The second set of claimants are families of four patients who died, represented by Solidarity.

Moseneke says that the last category of claimants are mental health users who survived, the are represented by Legal Aid South Africa.

Moseneke said the money the department said they said they saved by ending their contract with Life Esidimeni didn’t follow the mental healthcare users. Neither the users nor the places they were sent to were properly prepared.

He concluded that former head of department Dr Barney Selebano and former chief director for mental health Dr Makgabo Manamela falsely pleaded ignorance when it comes to the number of people dead.

]]>http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/life-esidimeni-families-to-receive-r1-2-million-in-compensation-rumana-akoob/feed/0From Andries Zwane to Andries Tatane – Repression, Austerity, and A luta Continuahttp://www.thedailyvox.co.za/from-andries-zwane-to-andries-tatane-repression-austerity-and-a-luta-continua-brian-kamanzi/
http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/from-andries-zwane-to-andries-tatane-repression-austerity-and-a-luta-continua-brian-kamanzi/#respondMon, 19 Mar 2018 12:37:50 +0000http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/?p=44875Amidst the last few months of turbulent parliamentary politics and fierce leadership battles within the ruling ANC, bitter struggles on the forgotten streets, classrooms and workplaces stand on the brink of smashing what is left of South Africa’s rainbow hued freedom parable writes BRIAN KAMANZI On 5 March in a peaceful protected strike carried out […]

Amidst the last few months of turbulent parliamentary politics and fierce leadership battles within the ruling ANC, bitter struggles on the forgotten streets, classrooms and workplaces stand on the brink of smashing what is left of South Africa’s rainbow hued freedom parable writes BRIAN KAMANZI

On 5 March in a peaceful protected strike carried out by workers Luxor Paint in Jet Park, Boksburg, protestor Andries Zwane was shot in the face at near point blank range with rubber bullets while seated at a distance from the company compound by private security militia under the logo “PPS”. The action at Luxor Paint embarked on by workers and labour union General Industrial Workers Union of South Africa (GIWUSA) has at its core demands for full medical aid coverage and a service allowance together in context of an environment where workers are faced with exposure to toxic chemicals of long durations. For some of the longest standing workers at Luxor, their tenure extends well over a decade under difficult conditions with increasing health costs steadfastly pushed onto the burden of workers.

Initial strike action over these demands began in October 2017 and were steadfastly met with a court interdict, delaying further action until March of 2018 where the present deadlock now stands. Representatives from the workforce and Luxor paint respectively have sought the aid of the National Bargaining Council for the Chemical Industry (NBCCI) while the protected strike continues just outside the Luxor Paint compound in Boksburg.

Both the demands of the Luxor Paint strike and the violent response it has solicited have unfortunately become commonplace in a country that is regarded as one of the strike capitals of world. It is not almost seven years since the passing of Andries Tatane on 13 April 2011 who lost his life from a shot to the head with rubber bullets fired by a Public Order Policing unit member of the South African Police Services. Tatane’s death may have resulted in the arrests of police personnel for their involvement, but few contest that the material conditions that necessitated the actions of himself and his compatriots remain and are self evident across the country.

The story of Andries Tatane has struck a chord particularly among Black working class movements across the country as way to standing up to intensifying state police repression, the expanding normalisation of the use of private security for maintaining “public order”, and strike breaking under the guise of protecting property.

Thabang Mohlala, an organiser from the Casual Workers’ Advice Office (CWAO), observed that the armoured vehicles used by the deployed private security included insignia with the title “National Strike Intervention Unit” raising serious questions as to both the widespread use of private security for dealing with protest action which brings into sharp focus deeper debates about the role and powers of private security.

Mohlala went on issue a call for solidarity stating: “We [CWAO] went there to lift up the spirits and other workers from other areas have joined, when the workers [at Luxor Paint] see new faces the morale goes up. However it’s not like they are intimidated about what happened to Zwane, the workers know what they are facing, they are avoiding provocation from the security”.

In the present moment with the newly sworn in president Cyril Ramaphosa, internally elected to leadership of the ANC under the slogan of a “New Deal” era, has already heralded a state budget that has introduced increases in VAT, cuts in social spending, and the stability of corporate tax. In a press statement issued by the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), in solidarity with a #ScrapNewLabourLaws campaign, a coalition of more than 20 organisations were called to resist recent proposed changes to both the Labour Relations Act and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. They were described as limiting the right to protest and therein rolling back hard won gains particularly during the height of the anti-apartheid mobilisations.

On 9 March 2018, developments in the unfolding action saw the Luxor Paint executive firing 111 of its striking workers on the basis of misconduct. Through the struggle of the Luxor Paint workers, South Africa is presented with one of the first significant signals since the transition from the resignation of former President Zuma, raising critical questions about “who” the “New Deal” era is for and who stands to benefit going forward.

When popular transnational slogans such as “A Luta Continua” are invoked, what is often understated is the urgency and importance of realising that the lives of the countless Andries Tatanes don’t simply become relevant under the conditions of their passing and ascent to martyrdom. Similarly the rubber bullet that has since pierced the eye of Andries Zwane is no less politically significant and should also be recognised as an example of principled resistance and source of courage for those across this land and the next.

Workers of Luxor Paint deserve, like everyone else, the full healthcare protections they are fighting for as well as the safe working conditions they are demanding to introduce. More broadly, at this difficult historical juncture it remains of crucial importance to defend hard fought gains of the past, build organisation, and join forces who sincerely agitate for radical change.

Individuals may be tried, arrested, framed, detained, or killed but the crucial task ahead for the Luxor Paint workers, and for the progressive movements in general, lies in the battle to hold the system itself responsible, to take it to trial, and bring justice to reckoning animating the call to make the world anew, therein lies the meaning of A Luta Continua.

Featured image by Hankyeol Lee

]]>http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/from-andries-zwane-to-andries-tatane-repression-austerity-and-a-luta-continua-brian-kamanzi/feed/0The Ten Commandments Of Catching A Taxihttp://www.thedailyvox.co.za/the-ten-commandments-of-catching-a-taxi-mihlali-ntsabo/
http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/the-ten-commandments-of-catching-a-taxi-mihlali-ntsabo/#commentsFri, 16 Mar 2018 13:49:57 +0000http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/?p=44865Commuting using public transport can be a mission and exhausting. However, in cities like Johannesburg, commuting using a minibus taxi can be far worse because of the strict, unspoken rules you’re supposed to adhere to. If you’re not familiar with the taxi industry and how you should behave when using a taxi to make your […]

Commuting using public transport can be a mission and exhausting. However, in cities like Johannesburg, commuting using a minibus taxi can be far worse because of the strict, unspoken rules you’re supposed to adhere to. If you’re not familiar with the taxi industry and how you should behave when using a taxi to make your way around this busy city, then here are few dos and don’ts you should always keep in mind before entering a taxi.

1. Check with your driver/marshall about where you are going before getting into the taxi

If you are going somewhere but you’re not sure where to get taxis to your destination, make sure you make use of the taxi marshalls at the rank and ask for help. If you are not sure of the area you are traveling to, the best thing to do is tell the taxi driver prior to getting in the taxi. If you don’t do this, and decide to ask when you’re inside your taxi, this usually annoys the drivers and they could possibly tell you they’re also not sure of the area you’re going to, which could lead to you getting lost.

2. Do not bang the taxi’s doors

No matter if the doors look like they could fall of at any given time, make sure you are as gentle as you can be with closing the taxi’s door, or else the driver will make you do it until you get it right. This means you’ll be delaying other passengers from arriving at their destinations and you will also get a lot of flack from them too. Most will tell you “Mcenge nje ngomntwana” which means be gentle to the door like you’re handling a baby. So make sure you always keep that in mind when you have to close the door.

We know taxi maths can be very confusing and we also know how suffocating it is being squashed at the backseat, however with most taxi drivers it may be difficult to avoid these two seats, especially if there is a queue involved. If you do try to avoid the front or back seat, you will not be allowed to sit in any other seat in the taxi, and you’ll be forced to wait for another one. So if the taxi fare has that annoying 50 cents on the side, just suck it up and use your calculator.

Taxi ranks are not banks or shops that always have change. If you really want to get into the taxi, arrive on time, and avoid being scolded, you better make sure you have the exact amount or loose change to pay with. For some drivers, paying with a R50 note in the morning is pushing it.

5. Do not give passengers their change before you give the driver their money

Giving the taxi driver his “short money” (when someone hasn’t paid their full fare), after everyone has paid and received their change is the worst nightmare no one ever wants to face. You may be forced to pay the shortfall from your own pocket. So best thing to do is, collect all the money from the passengers, then before, anything else, you ask the driver how much they are meant to receive, give him his money then shout “CHANGE” then wait for the passengers to ask for change. Imagine fighting over short money after a long day from work or school?

The part of the taxi just behind the driver and the two front passenger seats is not a place to rest your legs. If you do not want the driver to drop you off before you reach your destination, try to keep you feet to yourself as much as possible. (Editor’s note – if you are travelling with young children, you can seat them here at no extra charge. As this is the engine cover, they will burn their bottoms till they cry. A bitter childhood experience… )

According to most taxi drivers, if you sit next to them and use your phone (unless you’re calculating taxi maths) or wearing earphones, it distracts them from focussing on their driving. Maybe because your texts and music lists appear on his windscreen.

This goes back to making sure you know where you are going and know which turn to ask the driver to stop at. Because if you shout “after robots!” or “shot left!” and then realise it’s the wrong traffic light or turn, fam, you’re going to get off whether you like it or not.

9. Eat your KFC at home, not in the taxi

We all know the smell of KFC means people think we can smell their success. However, you will not let your success infiltrate the driver’s taxi or else you’ll most likely get kicked out. Wait until you get home if you want to have your Streetwise Two or Zinger Wings in peace.

10. There is a seating arrangement when sitting next to the driver

If you’re a woman sitting in front with your counterpart, the unfortunate news for you is that you most likely going to have to sit next to the driver because the driver won’t feel comfortable sitting next to a man when there is a woman who could sit next to him. Toxic masculinity at its finest.

]]>http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/the-ten-commandments-of-catching-a-taxi-mihlali-ntsabo/feed/1Zulu Children’s Author Themba Qwabe: “Parents Must Promote Indigenous Literature”http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/zulu-childrens-author-themba-qwabe-parents-must-promote-indigenous-literature-lizeka-maduna/
http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/zulu-childrens-author-themba-qwabe-parents-must-promote-indigenous-literature-lizeka-maduna/#respondFri, 16 Mar 2018 13:13:59 +0000http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/?p=44852The 21st Time of The Writer International Festival 2018 kicked off on Monday 12, March. It featured talks with 16 renowned authors from around the globe. The Daily Vox spoke to established South African isiZulu children’s book author, Themba Qwabe, to find out about his writing journey and what inspired him to write for children. […]

The 21st Time of The Writer International Festival 2018 kicked off on Monday 12, March. It featured talks with 16 renowned authors from around the globe. The Daily Vox spoke to established South African isiZulu children’s book author, Themba Qwabe, to find out about his writing journey and what inspired him to write for children.

I began writing when I was doing my junior degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg campus in the early 90s. This was after my former lecturer, Mr Hlengwa had asked me to give him four short stories. My first book ‘Amagemfe’ was subsequently published and later prescribed for Grade 12 isiZulu home language.

I write and publish in all Zulu major genres such as novels, drama, short stories, poetry, folklore, and children’s books. I enjoy writing all these. Poems are however my area of special interest.

I don’t normally count the books I have produced. Contracts and copies indicate solo and anthology works are in the region of 100. There are many manuscripts with various publishers as well.

I began writing children’s books after requests and commissioning by Oxford Publishers to write original children’s stories in isiZulu. Later, Macmillan Publishers came with the same requests. I have since published a number of original Zulu children’s books. ‘Baya kuphi oPhindi?’ and ‘Ngivakashela ugogo nomkhulu’ (Oxford ), ‘Ekwaluseni’; ‘UBongani ufunda kanzima’ and ‘Ukwemula ku kadadewethu’ (Macmillan) are some of these.

Being a children’s books author takes understanding of their level, interests, and what they need to be taught. Also artistic creativity to produce nice reading and meaningful stories.

Currently there is not enough children’s Zulu books on the shelves and schools for these young minds, especially books that will help them develop in all respects. Books that are relevant to them, their culture, heritage, and history.

Parents should play a crucial role in promoting literature in indigenous languages. They must buy books and read for their kids; there should be television time and reading time. They must encourage their kids to read and allow them to narrate stories to them. It’s their responsibility to feed the minds of kids; libraries should also have these books. It would be more helpful if the department of education was to ensure these books are at primary schools and train teachers how to teach literature at a primary level.

The ATT has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Featured image by Lizeka Maduna

]]>http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/zulu-childrens-author-themba-qwabe-parents-must-promote-indigenous-literature-lizeka-maduna/feed/0Mokgadi Caster Semenya Is Our Woman Crush Every Dayhttp://www.thedailyvox.co.za/mokgadi-caster-semenya-is-our-woman-crush-every-day-fatima-moosa-shaazia-ebrahim/
http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/mokgadi-caster-semenya-is-our-woman-crush-every-day-fatima-moosa-shaazia-ebrahim/#respondFri, 16 Mar 2018 13:12:13 +0000http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/?p=44861If you are not a fan of Caster Semenya, then what are you doing? The South African athlete is the ultimate sporting and just general life inspiration. The week she made the news when it was announced that she had earned her sports diploma at the University of Pretoria. The previous week she was outchea […]

If you are not a fan of Caster Semenya, then what are you doing? The South African athlete is the ultimate sporting and just general life inspiration. The week she made the news when it was announced that she had earned her sports diploma at the University of Pretoria. The previous week she was outchea breaking sporting records. In this second installment of this week’s #FanGirlFriday, SHAAZIA EBRAHIM and FATIMA MOOSA write about why Caster Semenya is life.

She broke a 35 year old record

Caster Semenya has many records and medals in her repertoire and she continues to add them by the day. During the Athletix Grand Prix Games in Pretoria early this month, Caster broke a 35 year old record! The previous record had been set by Ilze Wicksell in 1983. She won the 1 000m in a time of two minutes 35.43 seconds setting a new South African record. Caster beat the record by almost two seconds which is a lot in athletic terms.

Speaking after her victory, Semenya said: “It’s fantastic if you train towards your goals and with a fantastic team behind you anything is possible, all we have to go do now is go celebrate!”

Caster came through with the academic excellence – and officially graduated recently

Not only is she breaking records, Semenya is stacking qualifications too. We all knew she was a sports science student at the University of Pretoria, and this week she came through with her degree. Semenya posted a picture on Instagram on Wednesday of herself in her graduate gown with the caption #mamaimadeit. Her wife, Violet Raseboya, who took the picture posted a message to her on Instagram just days before the graduation saying: “She is a person. She has hope. She respect others. She has faith. She is smart. She is dedicated. She is powerful and she is strong. Mokgadi Semenya Sa Mma MASAI Congrats, what’s more?”

We couldn’t say it better ourselves.

She has won all of the records and awards

She was nominated for the Sportswoman of the Year at this year’s Laureus World Sports Awards. While she didn’t win (Serena Williams took home the accolade), Semenya said she was just happy that she had been nominated for the award.

“To be honest it was a great experience to be nominated with the world’s best and I’m just blessed,” she said.

Semenya is a multiple Olympian winning medallist. Some of the records that she has includes gold in the 800m at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games in London and Rio de Janeiro respectively. She won gold in the 800m at the 2009, 2011, and 2017 World Championships. During the 2017 World Championships, Semenya competed in the 1 500m as well, bringing home the bronze.

However, the 800m is the race that she is best at and she won the gold in that as well as at the 2015 All-Africa Games and 2016 African Championships. At the 2016 African Championships which were held in Durban, Caster took home the gold for the 1 500m as well as the 4x400m relay.

Way back in 2010 already, British magazine, The New Statesman named her as one of 50 People who Matter.

Despite the controversies that cloud her, Caster has remained unapologetically herself

Semenya has been through the most since she became champion at the women’s 800m World Athletics Championships in Berlin in 2009 at the age of 18. The athlete has been ridiculed, stripped, had her place and gender in world athletics questioned publicly and invasively scrutinised. This was even though she was cleared to compete by the International Association of Athletics Federations in 2010. Yet she still kept her head above the water and focussed on breaking records and doing the things. Once, when a reporter asked her about the rumors that she wasn’t a woman, she responded by saying, “I have no idea about that. I don’t know. I don’t give a damn about it.” (Skip to 0:49).

Cheers, haters!

Caster has all the swagger

Remember that time in 2016 when she graced the cover of Elle magazine? That was a great moment. Elle featured Semenya clad in Nike Beautiful X Powerful Collection and it was a thing of beauty and breaking barriers. But generally, we’re just here for her sneaker game and athleisure vibe because it is just goals!

]]>http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/mokgadi-caster-semenya-is-our-woman-crush-every-day-fatima-moosa-shaazia-ebrahim/feed/06 K-pop Groups That Are A MUST Listenhttp://www.thedailyvox.co.za/6-k-pop-groups-that-are-a-must-listen-fatima-moosa-shaazia-ebrahim/
http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/6-k-pop-groups-that-are-a-must-listen-fatima-moosa-shaazia-ebrahim/#commentsFri, 16 Mar 2018 09:50:21 +0000http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/?p=44847If you’re looking to transform your playlist, look no further than K-pop. K-pop or Korean pop is special blend of addictive melodies, perfect choreography and incredible production, combined with alarmingly beautiful South Korean (and sometimes other East Asian) performers who have endured years of training to sing and dance in synchronised perfection. It’s fantastical and […]

If you’re looking to transform your playlist, look no further than K-pop. K-pop or Korean pop is special blend of addictive melodies, perfect choreography and incredible production, combined with alarmingly beautiful South Korean (and sometimes other East Asian) performers who have endured years of training to sing and dance in synchronised perfection. It’s fantastical and escapist, and once you discover the fandoms, it’s over for you. The industry is huge so if BTS isn’t your thing *gasp* that’s okay: SHAAZIA EBRAHIM and FATIMA MOOSA round up six of their favourite K-pop groups (excluding BTS obviously).

Wanna One

For starters, there are 11 main reasons why we stan Wanna One: yup you guessed it, the 11 members that make up the group. Looking at them, it’s not hard to see why Wanna One have become so popular even though they only debuted August last year. The group was put together from Korean reality show, Produce 101, where the public voted which of the contestants would end up in the group. The group is made up of Kang Daniel, Seongwoo, Jinsung, Jihoon, Jaehwan, Jinyoung, Minhyun, Guanlin, Daehwi, Woojin, and Sungwoon. All of the members have mad talent with many being able to rap, sing, and dance with equal proficiency. And even though the group was put together from a show, the chemistry and friendship the members share is plain to see. The only sad thing about Wanna One is that their contract is only for a year and they are set to disband in December 2018. But for now, we’ll just wait for their comeback mini album, 0+1=1, which drops on 19 March and is going to be daebak (cool), judging from all the teasers. Oh and Wanna One fans are called Wannables who Wanna One obviously love so much. <3

EXO

EXO is arguably one of the top three most successful K-pop groups that ever was. The group was formed by SM Entertainment in 2011 and debuted in 2012. The numbers in the group have varied dramatically and it can get confusing. You might want to pay attention to this: EXO initially debuted with 12 members separated into two subgroups, EXO-K made up of Suho, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, and Sehun, and Exo-M made up of Xiumin, Lay, Chen and former members Kris, Luhan, and Tao. But the last time they released music as sub-groups was in 2014. They now are active as a single group. In 2014 and 2015, legal battles sadly cut the group down to nine members with Kris, Luhan, and Tao leaving. From 2016, Chen, Baekhyun, and Xiumin have also been active as a subunit called EXO-CBX (made up of the initials of each member’s stage names). The group performs music in Korean, Japanese, and Mandarin. The group has tapped into a variety of genres from pop, R&B and hip hop, to EDM genres including house and trap. The group have released four Korean albums: XOXO (2013), Exodus (2015), Ex’Act (2016) and The War (2017), and one Japanese album called Countdown (2018). EXO has released hit after hit and some of their best songs off the top of our heads are Call Me Baby, Monster, and Overdose. Fitting in with the EXO sub-unit concept, EXO fandom are called Exo-Ls and the L stands for love because it means EXO will forever love their fans. L is also located between K and M in the alphabet, meaning fans are buffered by EXO-K and EXO-M. Swoon!

TWICE

One of the most successful girl groups in Korea, TWICE were formed through a reality show where the female trainees from the JYP company competed to be a part of the group which was originally supposed to be seven but was expanded to nine. Jihyo, Mina, Jungyeon, Sana, Nayeon, Chaeyoung, and Dahyun were in the original seven with Tzuyu and Momo added on. Listening to any of TWICE’s songs will put you in a happy mood with their upbeat and quirky sounds which has been described as Colour Pop. Also while they might be a K-pop group, TWICE only has four Korean members with the rest from Japan and Taiwan. And a cool fact about the group is during the 2017 elections in South Korea, both candidates used TWICE’s song Cheer Up with changed lyrics as their campaign jingles. TWICE fans are called Once because if fans love the group even once, the girls will repay them with “twice” their love!

Red Velvet

The perfect blend of whimsy and vigour, Red Velvet is one of our fav girl groups. Red Velvet is a five-member girl group under SM Entertainment. They originally debuted in 2014 with four members: Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, and Joy with the single Happiness. In March 2015 they added a fifth member, Yeri. Everything about Red Velvet’s music, choreography, style, and production is representative of its core concept, defined by two different images: “Red” and “Velvet” – or a combination of the two. “Red” showcases their vivid and bold image, whereas “Velvet” reflects their classy and toned-down side. The group has released two albums so far. The album Perfect Velvet, released in 2017, is an uptempo pop dance album. It sold almost 36 000 copies in a week and is the group’s biggest selling album in a week. It’s title track Peek-a-boo is such a fun song! Perfect Velvet was reissued as the Perfect Red Velvet in January 2018, this time including the track Bad Boy. In Bad Boy the group attempted a sexy concept for the first time – and it worked! The group’s fandom is called ReVeluv which comes from Red Velvet + Love.

BLACKPINK

If you’re looking for a group that’s fun, sassy, and edgy look no further than BLACKPINK. The four-member girl group consists of JiSoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa, and is a product of YG Entertainment. BLACKPINK officially debuted in August 2016 with their single called Square One, and their first number-one hit, Whistle. The single also included Boombayah – which is a high key bop – and the song became their first number-one hit on Billboard World Digital Songs chart, and set the record as the most-viewed debut music video by a Korean act. Their second album called Square Two in November 2016 with hit tracks like Playing With Fire and Stay. It is anticipated that the group will make a comeback later this year and the BLACKPINK fandom called Blink will be waiting.

MAMAMOO

MAMAMOO’s Starry Night is currently the number one song on our playlist because it is so lit. The vocals, the instrumental, the dance, and the video for that song is sheer perfection. The four-member group which was formed in 2014 just recently released their 6th mini album and it is so beautiful. Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein, and Hwasa were put together by RBW and were considered the best K-pop debut of 2014. The group has a unique sound with elements of retro, jazz, and R&B concepts filtering into their sounds and performances. They also featured on an original soundtrack for the hit Korean drama, Goblin. The MAMAMOO fandom are adorably called MooMoo.

Author’s note: The music video for Mamamoo has been corrected. It previously had a MOMOLAND video.

]]>http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/6-k-pop-groups-that-are-a-must-listen-fatima-moosa-shaazia-ebrahim/feed/3Maybe This Time Beyoncé Will Come To South Africahttp://www.thedailyvox.co.za/maybe-this-time-beyonce-will-come-to-south-africa-mihlali-ntsabo/
http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/maybe-this-time-beyonce-will-come-to-south-africa-mihlali-ntsabo/#respondFri, 16 Mar 2018 08:30:05 +0000http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/?p=44837The queen and saviour of the music industry, Beyoncé Knowles Carter, and her husband, rapper Jay Z, have announced a part two of their high-grossing, wallet-snatching On The Run Tour. Why should the rest of us care? Well, we are speculating that the OTR II might be coming to Africa, and before you say we […]

The queen and saviour of the music industry, Beyoncé Knowles Carter, and her husband, rapper Jay Z, have announced a part two of their high-grossing, wallet-snatching On The Run Tour. Why should the rest of us care? Well, we are speculating that the OTR II might be coming to Africa, and before you say we are reaching before stretching, hear our reasons out.

Beyonce’s baby shower

Remember when Beyoncé had a Nigerian themed baby shower when she was still pregnant with her twins, Rumi and Sir Carter last year? This was also Bey’s way of announcing that she would be naming one of her twins after an Indian poet too. That could have been interpreted as cultural appropriation but we all know Beyoncé is queen of signs and symbolism and maybe this could possibly have been a sign that maybe she was coming to Africa.

Remember that deleted tweet by SABC radio station, Metro FM, back in December last year that Beyoncé is coming to South Africa in October 2018? Yep, although the tweet was deleted from the account, it sure sparked a hella lot of excitement with the South African Beyhive. Although Metro FM didn’t tweet anything after deleting that tweet, we surely do believe they might have heard a word or two.

Okay, surely one plus one should add up to two here. Firstly Metro FM tweeted this in December 2017, when NO ONE had any knowledge of the Carters planning a tour, and the last tour date in North America is on 2 October and then Metro tweeted that the Queen will be coming to SA? We don’t know about y’all but this sounds too fishy and could possibly mean something.

UK added to this tour

The 2014 OTR only included dates between North America and France, however, the 2018 tour dates (which we are not entirely sure are complete) have now included the United Kingdom. This could mean that Beyoncé is yet to add more tour dates and places, and we have a feeling Africa is somewhere on that coming list.

OTR II artwork

The OTR II artwork posted by Beyonce on her Instagram page could also mean that this time, she is could come pop by in Africa. The artwork image starring Beyoncé and her husband on a motorbike with a skull on top of it was inspired by a Senegalese film from the 1970s called Touki Bouki. Maybe the queen is trying to tell us that she is really might be coming to visit us.

To all of those who only joined the Beyhive recently and were not familiar with then young Beyoncé, the Queen has performed in South Africa before. Yep, back in 2003, at the Nelson Mandela 46664 HIV/AIDS campaign. Surely she misses the welcoming she received and might consider coming back. Who knows?

Queen of surprises and adding more tour dates during her tour

We all know that Beyoncé is queen of surprises when we least expect it. Like when she dropped tour dates for her Formation World Tour months before dropping her Lemonade album, and when she added more tour dates while on tour. So who knows, maybe the Carters might add more tour dates before or during their tour.

All we can say is, y’all better start opening Beyoncé investment accounts because you never know. One day we might be sleeping and wake up to (South) Africa added on the tour list.

Featured image via Instagram

]]>http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/maybe-this-time-beyonce-will-come-to-south-africa-mihlali-ntsabo/feed/0Why SA’s Renewable Energy Project Is Still On The Rockshttp://www.thedailyvox.co.za/why-sas-renewable-energy-project-is-still-on-the-rocks-fatima-moosa/
http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/why-sas-renewable-energy-project-is-still-on-the-rocks-fatima-moosa/#respondThu, 15 Mar 2018 14:19:32 +0000http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/?p=44830In early March, the new minister of energy Jeff Radebe announced that 27 independent renewable energy power projects would be signed by the state energy corporation Eskom. Radebe said the independent power producer (IPPs) projects would contribute 2 305 megawatts of electricity with the R56 billion investment set to create more than 60 000 jobs. […]

In early March, the new minister of energy Jeff Radebe announced that 27 independent renewable energy power projects would be signed by the state energy corporation Eskom. Radebe said the independent power producer (IPPs) projects would contribute 2 305 megawatts of electricity with the R56 billion investment set to create more than 60 000 jobs. However, the deal has quickly faced opposition from union and lobby groups.

During the announcement in Parliament, Radebe said “Our people need energy, we require cleaner energy. We have our commitments in terms of the National Development Plan. Our own commitments in terms of our international obligations. Our people deserve better. And this project I believe, will assist us to reignite our economy and to get those much-needed jobs for our people.”

However, just hours before the deal was due to be signed on 13 March, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) along with lobby group Transform SA said they had been granted an interdict from the North Gauteng High Court court to stop the deal going ahead. In their statement, Numsa said the interdict meant that the energy minister had to state that he would not sign the agreements.

The statement said that the matter to had go to court to protect the livelihood of thousands of workers and families as they believed the signing of the contracts would be “detrimental for the working class of Mpumalanga and the country as a whole.”

Numsa also said the IPP rollout would raise the cost of electricity because IPPs cost more than coal fired energy. The hearing is set for 27 March.

In his own statement, Radebe said that the court had not granted the interdict but had instead postponed the matter to 27 March where the department would be allowed to file answering papers. The statement also says that because there was no interdict granted, the department could have went ahead with signing the deal but the decision was made to postpone the signing.

Speaking on 702, Transform SA’s President Adiel Nchabeleng explained their reasons for wanting to halt the signing of the IPPs contract.

Nchabeleng said that in order for industrialisation to happen and to ensure radical economic transformation takes place, there needs to be a huge power supply but by introducing renewable energy the energy generation capacity will be decreased.

“So to do that we are saying industrialisation, bring in the power grid that we require and the processes that are going to create permanent jobs, not temporary or casual jobs, and are going to actually cause more energy poverty and not only that are going to cost us a fortune to maintain,” said Nchabeleng.

The Renewable Energy Council’s Terence Govender has said it was unfortunate that the move to renewable energy has been halted, saying “We support the DOE in terms of ensuring a renewable energy mix. The pricing of renewable has come down quite drastically over the past couple of years, and we have seen the benefit in South Africa.”

Many environment organisations have come out in strong condemnation of the move by Numsa and Transform SA to stop the signing of the deal with Greenpeace Africa said it is a bid to sabotage renewable energy.

Greenpeace’s Happy Khambule said that renewable energy should not be viewed as a threat and that in reality renewable energy creates new sustainable opportunities to grow the green economy.

Addressing the concerns by Numsa that renewable energy would cause job losses, Khambule said that in fact renewable energy would create new job opportunities.

Khambule continued: “Claims made by Numsa that renewable energy will push up the price of electricity are clearly false: numerous studies have shown that renewable energy is the least cost electricity choice. It is inexplicable for Numsa to be defending and protecting the coal industry, which disproportionately exploits people and natural resources in pursuit of profits,”

However, the discussion around renewable energy and its impact on jobs is not as clear-cut as it is being made out to be.

One of the people who has raised the issue has been energy consultant Ted Blom, who said in an interview with Business Report that while the deal would bring substantial investment and some jobs, the agreements could have dire consequences for South African consumers.

“The consequence of this recipe spells disaster for South African consumers and business. It will lead to a 20-year depression as electricity tariffs get blown sky high to compensate a dying Eskom and inflation-linked Renewables with guaranteed off-takes,” he said.

The Daily Vox team spoke to Richard Halsey, a researcher at Project 90 by 2030 and coordinator of Energy Governance South Africa Network who commented on the importance of the contracts, saying that it depends on who is it important to. “For instance it is important to the people building the power plants which have been on hold, and by extension it becomes important to the renewable energy industry and for the invigoration of the industry.”

“It is importance because it indicates in a sense that South Africa is serious about moving towards renewable energy,” Halsey said.

Halsey said the problem comes in not so much with the renewable energy but with how it will be run and the private ownership, and whether it’s in the best interest of workers.

Regarding the confusion about the costs of renewable energy, Halsey said “The straight answer is renewable energy will provide cheaper energy will benefit all South Africans.”

Adding on Halsey said for the short term costs it should not only be thought about in rands and cents but rather the impact on the environment and the workers. It is in this regard that renewable energy has a smaller cost factor. Coal mines not only damage the environment but have disastrous impacts on the health of the people who work on them.

With regards to Numsa and Transform SA’s statement, Halsey says most of the power stations were going to be decommissioned anyway as the stations were supposed to run for 50 years and many of the stations are past that date.

The only issue is will the introduction of these IPPs bring forward the date for when these coal-fired power stations close. “To claim it is entirely the fault of the IPPs is a misrepresentation of what’s going on,” he said.

In terms of job creation Halsey said the short term impact on health and so on should be looked at as renewable energy will create better healthy working environments.

“What needs to be done is for a fair process for how you compensate for the job losses from the coal sector and to giving them opportunities in the renewable energy sector,” he said.

Halsey said there needs to be a focus on just energy transition. According to the Project 90 by 2030, a “just energy transition” is a transition towards a sustainable, low carbon and equitable energy system, and where the shift is as fair as possible, particularly for those workers in legacy energy systems where jobs will be at risk.

“What has happened, and we’ve seen this in this last couple years, is that a lot of decisions are being made on a political basis rather than a rational and transparent basis. It can be quite difficult to dissect out what is happening and for what reason and it’s not something we can have an influence over but something we should be aware of,” Halsey said in closing.

]]>http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/why-sas-renewable-energy-project-is-still-on-the-rocks-fatima-moosa/feed/05 Woke Youtubers Worth Your Datahttp://www.thedailyvox.co.za/5-woke-youtubers-worth-your-data-mihlali-ntsabo/
http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/5-woke-youtubers-worth-your-data-mihlali-ntsabo/#respondThu, 15 Mar 2018 13:28:57 +0000http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/?p=44815Seemingly everybody is starting a YouTube channel to showcase the same personalities and to tell us the same dos and dont’s in black households. Watching these videos can be a waste of your data, especially in this economy. However, these five YouTube vloggers (in no particular order) who speak on social injustice issues and politics […]

Seemingly everybody is starting a YouTube channel to showcase the same personalities and to tell us the same dos and dont’s in black households. Watching these videos can be a waste of your data, especially in this economy. However, these five YouTube vloggers (in no particular order) who speak on social injustice issues and politics are who we think are worth your time and data.

#WeTheNetSA

This is one of the newest YouTube channels that brought a fresh approach to discussions about social issues on social media. #WeTheNetSA is definitely a YouTube channel worth spending your last bit of data on. Started by a group of eight young individuals, #WeTheNetSA discusses the daily issues and experiences faced by many young black people in South Africa. Also speaking patriarchy, misogyny, queerphobia, and toxic masculinities drawing from personal narratives and lived experiences, this channel could help broaden your perspective on understanding social issues.

The Suburban Zulu Show

The Suburban Zulu Show is a YouTube channel by queer activist Lelo Macheke, who defines himself as a creative intellectual. The show mainly focuses on the politics of what it means to be black and queer in South Africa. With topics ranging from romance and dating within gay culture, to navigating your gender and sexuality in heteronormative spaces and also conflicts and struggles faced by queer bodies within their own community, the Suburban Zulu Show would be a great place to learn more on the politics and complexities around gender and identity.

Pap Culture

Pap Culturewas started by three young women: Bongeka Masango, Nwabisa Mda, and Thembe Mahlaba. It has managed to challenge and engage social issues in a way that sparks conversations amongst young people. This trio, listed amongst the Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans last year, speaks on issues such as the politics of hair, race and racism, gender, rape culture, and the financial struggles faced by young working professionals.

The Foxy Five Web series

Jabu Nadia Newman’s web series The Foxy Five is an important series that explores intersectional feminism and the daily experiences faced by black women in South Africa and also how transphobic woke and queer people can be.

Sibu Mpanza

Probably one of the first and very few Youtubers in South Africa to breakout for his in-depth and critical topics, Sibu Mpanza has arguably mastered the art if creating videos that are sharp and precise and easily grab your attention. Also speaking on issues around rape culture, patriarchy, and toxic masculinities, Sibu Mpanza is definitely a Youtuber worth your data.

]]>http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/5-woke-youtubers-worth-your-data-mihlali-ntsabo/feed/0South African Muslim Activism Must Go Beyond Palestinehttp://www.thedailyvox.co.za/south-african-muslim-activism-must-go-beyond-palestine-mohammed-jameel-abdulla/
http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/south-african-muslim-activism-must-go-beyond-palestine-mohammed-jameel-abdulla/#commentsThu, 15 Mar 2018 10:19:07 +0000http://www.thedailyvox.co.za/?p=44805At a panel discussion on Tuesday hosted by the University of Cape Town Palestine Solidarity Forum, the issues of race, settler colonialism, and Palestine were the topics of the evening. Host Alexandra Hotz emphasized at the beginning of the evening that it was crucial to bring up the reality that Palestinian solidarity was the only […]

At a panel discussion on Tuesday hosted by the University of Cape Town Palestine Solidarity Forum, the issues of race, settler colonialism, and Palestine were the topics of the evening. Host Alexandra Hotz emphasized at the beginning of the evening that it was crucial to bring up the reality that Palestinian solidarity was the only time some took any interest in social justice – local concerns, tragedies on the continent, and injustices elsewhere were ignored. While the discussion covered a broad range of issues, a recurring theme of the night was the moral inconsistencies within South Africans Indian Muslims with narrow interests in injustice.

Writer and queer activist Nigel Patel, began the evening speaking on Israeli pinkwashing, which they described as the co-opting of LGBTQIA+ people by white anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim political forces.

“Pinkwashing in Israel has been a project to use LGBTQ rights to distract from and normalise Israeli occupation, settler colonialism, and apartheid,” said Patel. Patel argued that this co-option was a deliberate attempt to sanitise Israeli brutality and erase the queer activism that takes place within Palestine, such as Palestinian Queers for Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (PQBDS).

Dr Natasha Vally described how normalised imprisonment of Palestinians was under Israeli tyranny. An estimated 6 500 Palestinians are currently imprisoned, with nearly one in every two Palestinian men experiencing an arrest by Israel in their lifetime.

Vally said these high figures, representing the incarceration of indigenous people, were consistent with other settler-colonial countries such as Canada and South Africa, where native populations make up a disproportionate prison demographic.

Pan-Africanist Jackie Shandu’s presentation focused on the nature of settler colonialism and how it was unfortunately not a unique occurrence in Palestine. In Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, and counties across Africa, Shandu said the scourge of genocide, dispossession, and institutionalised inequality were hallmarks of settler colonialism that spoke to the Palestinian situation – intrinsic to all of these for Shandu was the question of land. He however took issue that much of African solidarity with Arab circumstances was not reciprocated. He argued that Arab racism towards black Africans – something he said was exemplified by the slave trade of black people in Libya – came in the way of true solidarity between the oppressed because black Africans were being dehumanised from fellow Arab-Africans. He called for an understanding among “third world” countries against the common enemy of white supremacist capitalist imperialism.

Shandu ended his contribution by problematising that Israeli Apartheid Weekseemed to be the only time during the year that Muslim Indians in South Africa took political interest in matters of social justice, simply because it involved their faith. He said this was completely unacceptable and undermined solidarity between the oppressed.

Prominent FeesMustFall activist Shaeera Kalla agreed with Shandu on the issue of many Muslim Indians in South Africa only being interested in issues regarding fellow Muslims – and remaining silent or antagonistic towards the struggles of fellow South Africans and others from the continent. She said that as someone who was intimately involved in activism across spectrums, it was a matter within the community that was being addressed. She said part of the hypocrisy was that such people would speak about the ills of settler colonialism in Palestine yet not see the parallels to the South African land question.

“There’s no way that I can make sense that the Indian Muslim community can say that Palestine should be free from the river to the sea, when they can’t see that land needs to be given back to African people in South Africa,” said Kalla.

Zwelinzima Vavi, the general secretary of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) gave the final presentation, painting a broad outline of the history of South African-Palestine relations going back to the days of apartheid. Vavi said that as survivors of imperialism, colonialism, and fascism, we as South Africans had learned to identify it elsewhere and stand against it wherever it reared its head – thus South African solidarity with Palestine was a fundamental aspect of South African politics.

“The existence of oppression anywhere in the world is a threat to stability anywhere in the world. We want peace in our world, but Chris Hani taught us that we will have to fight for that peace, and it is in this context that we as workers hold the people of Palestine in special regard,” he said.

Vavi called for trade union across the world to take up the call for divestment and sanctions against Israel and supported the UCT’s PSF’s stance for an academic boycott of Israel.